Not applicable.
Not applicable.
The present invention is related generally to agricultural implements and more specifically to an improved supporting and locking assembly for securing irregularly shaped particulate hoppers to transport assemblies.
In the past, distribution of seed (or other particulate material such as fertilizer) for use in a variety of agricultural operations has been facilitated via a planter apparatus including a wheel supported carrier frame having a hitch for linking to a tractor or other prime mover, an implement bar mounted to the frame perpendicular to the transport direction and a plurality of row units (e.g., 8 to 32) mounted to and essentially equi-spaced along the length of the implement bar. Among other components, each row unit typically includes some type of seed bin that opens downwardly into a dispenser assembly and some type of soil agitator (e.g., a coulter or knife member) juxtaposed on the transport side of the dispenser. During transport through a field the agitator is forced through soil there below and forms a seed trench. As its label implies, the dispenser dispenses a pre-selected quantity of seed downward and behind the agitator into the trench.
The individual seed bins generally have limited storage capacity. For instance, many row unit seed bins are limited to between one and three bushel volumes. For this reason, these types of planter assemblies required frequent bin refilling. Unfortunately, seed filling stations (e.g., typically a barn or other storage unit) are typically stationary and therefore filling exercises often required a trip out of the fields back to a station and then a trip back to the fields to continue the seeding process. These filling trips increased the overall time required to plant fields. In addition to the round trip time required to refill bins, the refilling process itself was tedious as each separate row unit bin had to be filled during each filling exercise.
In an effort to reduce the number of seed refilling exercises required to seed a field, the industry has developed systems including one or more large seed reservoir hoppers mounted to the carrier frame that are transported along with the row units. In an exemplary system, a main hopper dispenses seed to a plurality of individual mini-hoppers that each, in turn, supply seed to an individual row unit. To this end, the main hopper will typically form an upwardly opening cavity and will form, among other surfaces, bottom cavity surfaces that slope downward toward an outlet port in the bottom of the hopper. The seed may be fed from the main hopper""s outlet port into each mini-hopper by, for instance, entraining the seed in an air stream contained in separate, individual seed transfer hoses that are connected between the main tank and each of the individual mini-hoppers.
When designing agricultural equipment weight should be minimized to increase transport efficiency. In addition, equipment should always be designed to minimize required maintenance. Moreover, the equipment should be designed to facilitate easy configuration set up and deployment. Furthermore, as with virtually all products, manufacturing and product costs should be minimized whenever possible.
One manufacturing process that has been widely accepted for producing general purpose light weight, rugged and relatively inexpensive containers has been the rotational molding process. To form a container using a rotational molding process, the internal surfaces of a multipart metallic mold are coated with an anti-stick spray and then plastic particulate is placed inside a cavity formed by a first part of a multipart metallic mold. Thereafter other parts of the mold are secured to the first part to form a completely enclosed cavity including the particulate where the internal surface of the closed mold defines an external surface of a container to be produced. Next, the mold is heated to melt the particulate and the mold is rotated about several axis to distribute the melted particulate across the entire internal surface of the mold.
After completely covering the internal surface with melted particulate the mold is cooled and, as the mold cools, the particulate hardens to form the container. To expedite the cooling process, hot molds are often placed within cooling rooms where large fans or other types of cooling units blow cool air across the external surfaces of the molds. After cooling, when the mold is opened the container is removed and may be further processed in any of several different ways. For instance, in some cases the container may be cut in half to form a two piece container.
Because rotational molding processes are relatively inexpensive to perform and provide rugged, light weight, minimal component and often complex containers (e.g., hopper containers including variously sloped internal surfaces), rotational molding processes would appear to be nearly ideal for manufacturing main hoppers for use with planter assemblies like the assembly described above.
Unfortunately, in the case of typical rotational molding processes there are several sources or error that render it difficult to meet precise tolerances. In particular, it has been recognized that as molded containers cool, often the containers will shrink or become otherwise somewhat distorted. While shrinkage would not be problematic if the amount of shrinkage were uniform throughout a container and could be controlled, in reality shrinkage is difficult at best to control or predict.
To this end, for instance, differing cooling environments can cause similarly molded containers to have different shrinkage characteristics. For example, where first and second molds are placed in a cooling room with a fan directed at the first mold and another fan only indirectly blowing air toward the second mold, the shrinkage characteristics can be different.
As another instance, while mold rotation is attempted to evenly distribute melted particulate across the internal surfaces of the molds sometimes distribution is uneven so that one container wall or wall section is thicker than an adjacent wall or section. In these cases, during cooling the container shape can be distorted somewhat as differently thick sections are often characterized by different cooling and shrinking characteristics. Thus, where a stiff container section is proximate a relatively thin container section the thin section may shrink more than the thick section and may be caused to distort or slightly curl about the thicker section.
As one other instance, sometimes the anti-stick spray is not evenly distributed on the internal surfaces of the mold sections so that during cooling some sections of the container may stick to the mold while other sections of the container come unstuck. Again, as in the case where particulate is unevenly distributed, some sections of the container will shrink and distort to a greater degree than other adjacent sections.
While these distortions and different shrinkage characteristics are minimal in the case of small rotational containers, unfortunately the variances become greater as the size of the container is increased. In particular, in the case of agricultural main hoppers like the ones described above where a hopper may be as large as several bushels (e.g., 30-40 bushels), the differing shrinkage and distortion characteristics may amount to as much as several inches of hopper dimension variance. For instance, where a hopper includes front and back walls, the dimension between the external surfaces of the front and back walls may vary within a range of several inches (e.g., 3-4).
One problem with hoppers having dimension variances within several inch ranges is devising a mechanism to secure such hoppers to planter transport equipment such as a wheel supported carrier frame. Generally rigid mechanical solutions for securing the hoppers to a carrier frame do not work as the variable dimensions typically cause mechanical components to misalign. For instance, assume that both the front and back ends of a hopper have to be secured to the carrier frame to provide a completely stable hopper and that the front end is bolted to the carrier frame. In this case the back end may or may not be aligned with apertures for receiving a bolt to secure the back end.
Thus, most workable hopper securing mechanisms have abandoned rigid mechanical solutions and instead have adopted strap or belt type solutions. For instance, in an exemplary belt type solution a hopper is supported in a support cradle that extends up from a carrier frame and two belt assemblies are used to secure the hopper to the support cradle. In this case each belt assembly includes two belt segments that are secured to opposite sides of the cradle with distal ends that extend up and around the top of the main hopper. The distal ends corresponding to the same belt are formed so that they can be secured together and so that the combined lengths of the corresponding belt assembly can be adjusted. Thus, importantly, because the combined lengths of each belt assembly are adjustable many different hopper dimensions can be accommodated and loose manufacturing tolerances can be tolerated.
Despite effectively securing imperfectly formed hoppers to carrier frames the belt type securing mechanisms have several shortcomings. First, such configurations require many components and therefore are relatively expensive. Second, these configurations are generally less robust than other types of rigid mechanical configurations and therefore require additional maintenance. Third, belt configurations are difficult to use. For instance, to strap a single main hopper to a support cradle, the hopper has to be positioned on the cradle, a user has to climb onto the planter assembly to access the top of the hopper, wrap a first end of a first belt around the top of the hopper, wrap a second end of the first belt around the top of the hopper and then fasten the first and second ends. Thereafter the user has to perform these tasks again, this time for the second belt assembly. Continuing, in some cases the user has to further tighten the first belt assembly and then further tighten the second assembly. This process has to be repeated for embodiments including additional hoppers.
Therefore, a need exists for a simple and inexpensive hopper support and lock down mechanism that can accommodate variously and irregularly sized hoppers.
It has been recognized that a simple mechanical clamping apparatus can be configured that can compensate for imperfectly formed main hoppers having a relatively wide range of dimensions that should include essentially all of the likely hopper dimensions that will result from using a rotational molding process to manufacture hoppers. To this end, the clamping apparatus in some embodiments includes a system that restrains both vertical and horizontal hopper motion by providing adjustable bearing members that clamp against opposite sides of the hopper and apply a compressing force and perhaps also oppositely directed vertical forces. The adjustability of the clamping assembly accommodates variably sized hoppers.
Consistent with the above, the invention includes an apparatus for use with a planting assembly including a mounting member and a hopper, the hopper including first and second wall members that form first and second hopper external surfaces wherein first and second forces applied perpendicular to the first and second surfaces include at least components along first and second opposing trajectories, respectively, the apparatus for securing the hopper to the mounting member and comprising a first elongated bearing member linked to the mounting member and forming a first bearing surface that applies a first applied force to the first hopper surface wherein the first applied force includes at least a first compressing component along the first trajectory, a second elongated bearing member forming a second bearing surface and having a first end and a retainer linked to the first end of the second bearing member and rigidly linking the second bearing member to the mounting member in any of several different positions relative to the first bearing member so that the second bearing surface applies a second applied force to the second hopper surface wherein the second applied force includes at least a second compressing component along the second trajectory.
In some embodiments the invention includes first and second coupler members and a retaining member, the first coupler member rigidly linked to the mounting member and including a first coupler surface that defines a plane that is substantially perpendicular to the first bearing surface, the second coupler member including a second coupler surface and rigidly secured to the first end of the second bearing surface, the retaining member for securing the second coupler surface parallel to and in any of several different positions with respect to the first coupler surface. More specifically, in some embodiments the first and second coupler members form first and second coupler apertures and the retaining member is receivable through the first and second coupler apertures to lock the first and second coupler members in at least one of the several different positions. Here, the retaining member may be a bolt and a nut where the bolt includes a shaft member and the shaft member is received through the apertures and the nut is received on the end of the shaft to lock the first and second coupler members in the at least one position. Here, the shaft may have a shaft cross section and at least one of the coupler apertures may have an aperture cross section that is substantially larger than the shaft cross section.
In some embodiments the first coupler aperture has an aperture cross section that is substantially larger than the shaft cross section and wherein the first coupler aperture is slot shaped having a first slot length. In addition, the second coupler aperture may be slot shaped having a second slot length. Moreover, the bolt and nut may secure the first and second coupler members together with the first and second slot length substantially perpendicular. Furthermore, one of the first and second slot lengths may be substantially parallel to the first trajectory. In addition, the first and second coupler apertures may comprise a first aperture pair and the first and second couplers also may form at least a second coupler aperture pair wherein the apparatus further includes a second retaining member receivable through the second aperture pair. Here, each of the retaining members may include a bolt having a shaft and a nut receivable on the shaft, each shaft may have a shaft cross section and each of the apertures may have a cross sectional area that is substantially greater than the shaft cross section. Also, here, each of the coupler apertures may be a slot having a slot length, the first coupler member slot lengths may be parallel and the second coupler slot lengths may be parallel and may be perpendicular to the first coupler member slot lengths.
In some embodiments the second bearing member includes a second end opposite the first end and the apparatus further includes a second retainer linked to the second end of the second bearing member for rigidly linking the second bearing member to the mounting member. Here, each of the first and second retainers may include first and second couplers and a retaining member where each first coupler is linked to the mounting member and forms a first coupler surface that defines a plane that is substantially perpendicular to the first bearing surface, each second coupler forming a second coupler surface and linked to the second bearing member, wherein the retaining members rigidly secure each of the second coupler surfaces parallel to and in any of several different positions with respect to a separate one of the first coupler surfaces.
In at least some embodiments each of the first and second forces applied perpendicular to the first and second hopper surfaces further include components along a third trajectory that is perpendicular to the first trajectory, the apparatus also for use with a hopper including a third external surface wherein a third force applied perpendicular to the third surface includes a component along a fourth trajectory that is opposite the third trajectory wherein the first and second bearing members also form third and fourth bearing surfaces, respectively, the first and second applied forces include components along the third trajectory and the third bearing member applies a third applied force to the third hopper surface having a component along the fourth trajectory. In addition, the apparatus may also be for use with a hopper including a fourth external surface wherein a fourth force applied perpendicular to the fourth surface includes a component along the fourth trajectory and the fourth bearing member applies a fourth applied force to the fourth hopper surface having a component along the fourth trajectory. Here the third and fourth applied forces may include components along the first and second trajectories, respectively.
Here the hopper may include a base member that opens concavely upward wherein the base member forms each of the first, second, third and fourth hopper surfaces.
Some embodiments include another retainer linked to a first end of the first bearing member and rigidly linking the first bearing member to the mounting member in any of several different positions relative to the second bearing member so that the first bearing surface applies the first applied force to the first hopper surface.
The invention also includes an apparatus for use with a planting assembly including a mounting member, the apparatus for storing particulate, the apparatus comprising a hopper including first and second wall members that form first and second hopper external surfaces wherein first and second forces applied perpendicular to the first and second surfaces include at least components along first and second opposing trajectories, respectively, a first elongated bearing member rigidly linked to the mounting member and forming a first bearing surface that applies a first applied force to the first hopper surface wherein the first applied force includes at least a first compressing component along the first trajectory, a second elongated bearing member forming a second bearing surface and having a first end and a retainer linked to the first end of the second bearing member and rigidly linking the second bearing member to the mounting member in any of several different positions relative to the first bearing member so that the second bearing surface applies a second applied force to the second hopper surface wherein the second applied force includes at least a second compressing component along the second trajectory.
In some embodiments the mounting member includes first and second ends and the apparatus further includes first and second lateral support members and a second retainer, each lateral support member extending from a proximal end to a distal end, the first and second lateral support members mounted at their proximal ends to the first and second ends of the mounting member, respectively, the first bearing member traversing the distance between the proximal ends of the lateral support members and the retainers linking opposite ends of the second bearing member to the distal ends of the lateral support members in any of several different positions such that the second bearing member is substantially parallel to the first bearing member.
In addition, the invention includes an apparatus for use with a planter assembly including a mounting member, the apparatus for storing particulate and comprising first and second elongated lateral support members that extend between proximal and distal ends, are mounted at proximal ends to opposite ends of the mounting member and that extend substantially in parallel and in the same direction from the mounting member to the distal ends, a first elongated bearing member that traverses the distance between and is integrally mounted to the proximal ends, a second elongated bearing member having first and second opposite ends, a hopper having a base member that forms an upwardly concave particulate cavity, the hopper including generally oppositely facing first and second surfaces that form oppositely facing first and second elongated recesses, respectively, the hopper positioned such that the first bearing member is received in the first recess, first and second retainers for securing the first and second ends of the second elongated bearing member to the distal ends of the lateral support members in any of several different positions, respectively, wherein the retainers are secured to the distal ends with the second bearing member received within the second recess.
In some embodiments the distal ends each forms a first coupler member forming a first surface substantially perpendicular to the first bearing member, each first coupler member forming a plurality of parallel slots and each retainer includes a second coupler member mounted to one of the ends of the second bearing member and forming a second coupler surface substantially parallel to the first coupler surfaces, each second coupler member forming a plurality of parallel slots and, wherein, each retainer further including a bolt having a shaft and a nut wherein each shaft is received through adjacent slots in the first and second coupler member and each nut is received on one of the shafts to secure the first and second couplers together in any one of several different relative positions.
These and other objects, advantages and aspects of the invention will become apparent from the following description. In the description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof, and in which there is shown a preferred embodiment of the invention. Such embodiment does not necessarily represent the full scope of the invention and reference is made therefore, to the claims herein for interpreting the scope of the invention.